Rajasthan vs Delhi, 41st Match

So, Rajasthan ease past Delhi to consolidate themselves at the top half of the table. Do join us back for the double-header after a two-day break. Cheers for your company. Goodbye and good night.

Rahane: "I really enjoyed batting on this wicket. But the wicket was slightly slow after the first six overs. We did not really talk about targets during the time-out. We just wanted to back ourselves. Whoever is set in the middle, we wanted that guy to bat through. It was my turn today and I am happy with my performance."

Rahane is the Man of the Match for his 50-ball 64.

Smith: "It was an outstanding performance. It was perfect from the boys. They played beautifully. I wanted to bat if I had won the toss. I expected the pitch to slow up. Everyone bowled to their plans, set the right fields and executed well. We like to target the opposition, the players we know. Hopefully we carry it onto the business end."

Pietersen: "I will hold my hand up and say that I got the toss wrong. We should have batted first as the pitch got slower and shot making was a lot difficult. We tried a few different things but it didn't work out. We need to keep doing the simple things right and if you do it right you can change things around."

Another top performance from Rajasthan. Shane Watson congratulates his boys. The Delhi batting never really got going for the umpteenth time. They shuffled their batting order but it went bust again. The Rajasthan bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets. Manoj Tiwary was the lone ranger, striking a 44-ball 61 while the rest failed miserably. The Delhi batting sheet was smudged with as many as 7 single digit scores. The story for KP's men could have been even more shameful had they been bowled out inside 20 overs. Do stay with us for the presentation.

19.5 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, 2 runs, yorker on the leg-stump, Tiwary squeezes it out wide of mid-wicket. The throw from deep mid-wicket is hurled towards the bowler. Kulkarni runs back but cannot gather the throw and break the stumps.

19.3 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, 2 runs, on a length and on middle and leg, Tiwary waits for it by sitting back in the crease. He then swipes it to deep mid wicket, where Binny was a bit sloppy. Kaul settles for the one as he camps at the batter's end. Tiwary rushes across, Kaul responds late but Binny's weak throw allows them to complete a couple

19.2 D Kulkarni to S Kaul, 1 run, fraction short and outside off, Kaul opens the face of the bat and steers it down to square third man

19.1 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, 1 run, Tiwary backs away outside leg but Kulkarni follows him with a yorker, jammed out to long on

Dhawal Kulkarni [3.0-1-11-1] is back into the attack

18.6 K Cooper to M Tiwary, 1 run, fullish and pushed on the off-stump, Tiwary knocks it to cover to reach his 5th fifty in the Indian T20 Leage. A fighting effort from Tiwary but Delhi continue to slide further

18.4 K Cooper to M Tiwary, no run, full and angled across, Tiwary, having moved across, looked to help it away over short fine leg but misses it

18.3 K Cooper to M Tiwary, no run, yorker length delivery on off, Tiwary jams it out to Smith at extra-cover

18.2 K Cooper to S Kaul, 1 run, fraction back of a length and close to off, Kaul opens the face of the bat and runs it down to sweeper cover

Siddarth Kaul, right handed bat, comes to the crease

18.1 K Cooper to Rahul Shukla, out Caught by S Smith!! Steve Smith helps himself to another catch. This was a low full toss outside off, Shukla looks to power it away but he mishits it straight to extra-cover. Smith did not even have to budge. Rahul Shukla c S Smith b K Cooper 14(12) [4s-2]

K Cooper to Rahul Shukla, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

17.6 Binny to M Tiwary, FOUR, good length ball outside off, Tiwary reverse-sweeps it down to the deep third man fence

17.5 Binny to Rahul Shukla, 1 run, slower short delivery, pulled away to backward square leg for a single

17.4 Binny to Rahul Shukla, no run, yorker length delivery, Shukla manages to dig it out

17.3 Binny to M Tiwary, 1 run, low full toss, pushed down to wide long on

17.1 Binny to Rahul Shukla, FOUR, pitched up and on the stumps, Shukla powers it to long off, Cutting slides but cannot prevent it from reaching the boundary

Stuart Binny [1.0-0-3-1] is back into the attack

16.6 K Cooper to M Tiwary, FOUR, on a length and outside off, Tiwary opens the face of the bat and runs it down to the deep third man fence

16.5 K Cooper to Rahul Shukla, 1 run, full outside off stump, drilled down to long-off

16.4 K Cooper to Rahul Shukla, no run, yorker length delivery on off, Shukla looks to work it away to the leg-side but copps a blow on his boot, the ball dribbles away. Oh wait, he may have got an inside edge onto that

16.3 K Cooper to Rahul Shukla, no run, another full one that whizzes past the leg-stump, Shukla swings and misses

16.2 K Cooper to Rahul Shukla, FOUR, length delivery on the stumps, Shukla slogs it hard and powers it to the long on fence

16.1 K Cooper to M Tiwary, 1 run, good effort from Cooper but he cannot hold onto the catch. This was on a length and on middle, Tiwary slaps it over the bowler. Cooper propels himself upward, gets both his hands onto the ball but only parries it over towards long-off

Kevon Cooper [1.0-0-3-0] is back into the attack

Time-out.

15.6 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, 1 run, Kulkarni aims for the yorker, ends up pitching it up, driven past the bowler to mid off

15.6 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, wide, seeing Tiwary make a bit of room, Kulkarni invests in a slower bouncer, Tiwary looks to ramp it over but is undone by the lack of pace. Wide signalled

15.5 D Kulkarni to Rahul Shukla, 1 run, fires the yorker on the leg-stump, Shukla squeezes it out towards mid-wicket

15.4 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, leg byes, 1 run, slower short ball, Tiwary is way early into the pull, the ball hits his body and runs away towards third man

15.3 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, no run, fine yorker on off, Tiwary jams his bat down and survives

15.2 D Kulkarni to Rahul Shukla, 1 run, dug in short and directed down leg, Shukla is caught in a tangle but fends it awkwardly wide of the keeper

15.1 D Kulkarni to M Tiwary, 1 run, back of a length and on middle, Tiwary heaves it away to the man at deep mid wicket on the bounce

Dhawal Kulkarni [2.0-1-6-1] is back into the attack

14.6 Binny to M Tiwary, 1 run, Tiwary fetches this from off and flicks it to mid wicket with the twirling of the wrists doing the trick there

14.5 Binny to Rahul Shukla, 1 run, on a length on middle and leg, tapped away to deep square leg

Rahul Shukla, right handed bat, comes to the crease

14.4 Binny to Tahir, out Bowled!! Binny joins the party. This was a good length ball on off, Tahir shuffles across and tries to scoop it over fine leg. But his attempt is in vain as he misses it entirely, the off-stump is disturbed. Tahir b Binny 4(6) [4s-1]

Binny to Tahir, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

14.3 Binny to Tahir, no run, on a length and on middle and leg, Tahir props forward and dabs it to mid-wicket

14.1 Binny to M Tiwary, no run, Binny starts off with a good length ball on off, Tiwary angles it to point

Stuart Binny, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

13.6 Ben Cutting to Tahir, no run, on a good length and on off, Tahir defends it quite decently

13.5 Ben Cutting to Tahir, no run, shortish and angled across, Tahir arches back and lets it pass

13.4 Ben Cutting to Tahir, FOUR, much fuller and just outside off, Tahir clears his front leg and hacks it past extra cover. It's all too late I guess

13.3 Ben Cutting to Tahir, no run, yorker directed at the base of the off-stump, dug out in the nick of time

Imran Tahir, right handed bat, comes to the crease

13.2 Ben Cutting to S Nadeem, out Bowled!! The leg-stump is knocked back. This was on a good length and tailing in, Nadeem seeks to whip it away past mid-wicket perhaps but the inward movement causes the ball to shoot through and crash clunk into the leg-stump. Nadeem misses while Cutting hits. S Nadeem b Ben Cutting 1(4)

Ben Cutting to S Nadeem, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

13.1 Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, 1 run, pushed full and on off, Tiwary looks to force it through the off-side but has to contend with an inside edge that trickles in front of cover

12.6 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, 1 run, paddles this one down to short fine leg for a single

12.5 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, SIX, slower delivery from Bhatia again, Tiwary comes down the track, then pauses and when the ball arrived he smacked it hard, sending it over wide long on

12.4 R Bhatia to S Nadeem, 1 run, on a length and on off, Nadeem looks to heave it away to cow-coner but the inside edge wanders away to backward square leg

12.3 R Bhatia to S Nadeem, no run, cutter outside off, Nadeem waits for it and guides it to point

12.1 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, no run, good length ball on off, Tiwary drives it to extra cover

Rajat Bhatia [2.0-0-9-2] is back into the attack

11.6 Ben Cutting to S Nadeem, no run, pitched up and on middle, pushed back to the bowler

11.5 Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, 1 run, fired full outside off, jammed out to the off-side as point fumbles

Shahbaz Nadeem, right handed bat, comes to the crease

11.4 Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, out K Jadhav Run Out!! Delhi look for a kamikaze single and lose Jadhav. This was the slower length delivery on middle, Tiwary walks into the shot, drops it in front of cover. Jadhav backs up for the single. He is half away down the pitch before Tiwary sends him back. The bowler runs across, gathers the ball and catches Jadhav short by virtue of an accurate direct hit. This is all going pear-shaped for Delhi. K Jadhav run out (Ben Cutting) 3(3)

Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

11.3 Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, FOUR, Cutting ventures short and outside off, slower one as well, Tiwary waits for an age, opens the face of the bat and runs it down to the deep third man fence

11.2 Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, FOUR, back of a length and on middle, Tiwary picks it up and dispatches it to deep mid wicket. Good wristwork from Tiwary

11.1 Ben Cutting to M Tiwary, no run, good length ball slanted across, grips in the pitch and beats Tiwary's swing of the bat

Ben Cutting [2.0-0-17-0] is back into the attack

10.6 Tambe to M Tiwary, 1 run, flatter and on middle, Tiwary bends down and executes the sweep to short fine leg

10.5 Tambe to K Jadhav, 1 run, floated and on off, Jadhav steps out and chips it over vacant mid-off

9.4 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, no run, Tiwary opens the face of the bat and nudges it to short third man

9.3 R Bhatia to K Jadhav, 1 run, on a length and on middle and leg, worked away to short mid wicket

9.2 R Bhatia to Ross Taylor, out Caught&Bowled!! Plucked out with his right hand. Another batsman surrenders to Bhatia's slower ball. This was a wicket gifted away. This was on a length, Taylor looks to punch it past the bowler, he does not account for the change of pace and lobs it back to the bowler, who takes it in his followthrough with one hand. Ross Taylor c and b R Bhatia 4(5)

R Bhatia to Ross Taylor, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

9.1 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, 1 run, slower cutter on the stumps, Tiwary is early into the lofted-drive, the ball loops over mid-off. Cutting rushes in from long-off, the ball dies down in front of him. He puts in the dive, tries to grab the ball but doesn't hold onto it fully. The ball pops out and hits the ground, then Cutting clutches it with his forearms but his eyes were closed when the ball hit the ground and hence he appealed for the catch

Cutting is claiming for the catch. The umpires play safe now and refer it upstairs. NOT OUT is the call from the umpire.

Time-out..

8.6 Tambe to M Tiwary, 1 run, Tambe digs it short, the ball grips in the pitch and stops on Tiwary. The result is a checked-pull past mid-wicket

8.6 Tambe to M Tiwary, wide, quicker delivery but the angle is down leg. Tiwary was initially making room. Meanwhile, Sanju dives full length and collects the ball

8.5 Tambe to Ross Taylor, 1 run, fizzing leggie, Taylor rides the turn and glides it to short third man, quick single pinched

8.4 Tambe to M Tiwary, 1 run, Tiwary comes down the track, Tambe is wary of it as he fires it on the pads, Tiwary adjusts and clips to deep square leg

8.3 Tambe to Ross Taylor, 1 run, spinning in, Taylor reads it and turns it into to the vacant mid wicket region

8.2 Tambe to M Tiwary, 1 run, looped up nicely, Tiwary shimmies down the track, drives it past the bowler to long on

8.1 Tambe to Ross Taylor, 1 run, skids off the pitch, cramped for the cut, Taylor chops it square of the wicket in a clumsy fashion

8.1 Tambe to Ross Taylor, wide, Tambe darts this down leg, wide called

7.6 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, no run, pitched up and on the stumps, Tiwary knocks it back to Bhatia

7.4 R Bhatia to Pietersen, out Bowled!! Delhi slide further, KP is sent packing. He cannot cash in on the umpiring mishap. This was another slower cutter from Bhatia, Pietersen wants to thwack it over cover, he is way too early into the big hit, he drags it back onto the stumps off an inside edge. Arguably, his form has mirrored Delhi's fortunes throughout the tourney. Pietersen b R Bhatia 13(18) [4s-1]

R Bhatia to Pietersen, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

7.4 R Bhatia to Pietersen, wide, drifting down leg, Pietersen aims to swat the ball over short fine but no dice

7.3 R Bhatia to M Tiwary, 1 run, slower cutter on middle, Tiwary waits for it and ticks it to mid on

7.2 R Bhatia to Pietersen, 1 run, fraction back of a length and outside off, Pietersen backs away and jabs it to sweeper cover

7.1 R Bhatia to Pietersen, no run, pitched up and on off, punched to mid-off

Rajat Bhatia, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

6.6 Tambe to M Tiwary, 2 runs, some sign of flight, Tiwary works it wide of mid-on, which is good enough to gain a brace

Manoj Tiwary, right handed bat, comes to the crease

6.5 Tambe to Duminy, out Caught by Nair!! Take that for a response. JPD is gone. Tambe is fired up. This was not all that short and pushed across, Duminy rocks back and committs to the cut-shot. The ball travels to Nair at backward point, who takes a smart catch. Delhi's reply is in tatters at 43-3. Duminy c Nair b Tambe 8(8) [6s-1]

Tambe to Duminy, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

6.4 Tambe to Duminy, SIX, thumped! Tambe errs short and outside off, sat up to be hit, Duminy smashes it over long on

6.3 Tambe to Pietersen, 1 run, darted in on the leg-stump, cramping KP for room, whipped away wide of long on

6.2 Tambe to Duminy, 1 run, full and on the fourth stump, Duminy eases the drive to long off

6.1 Tambe to Pietersen, 1 run, sliding in on the leg-stump, Pietersen punches it hard to long on

Pravin Tambe, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

5.6 K Cooper to Pietersen, 1 run, back of a length and angling in, Pietersen manoeuvres it towards square leg, simple single in the end but Delhi need some fillip to keep up with the asking rate

5.5 K Cooper to Pietersen, no run, pitched up and on off, Pietersen drills it to mid-off with that typical flourish

5.5 K Cooper to Pietersen, wide, Cooper loses his radar as he fires this one down leg, Pietersen who initially moved across, flays and misses

5.4 K Cooper to Duminy, 1 run, change of pace from Cooper, Duminy waits for it, opens the face of the bat and nudges it to third man

5.3 K Cooper to Duminy, no run, Cooper now drags his length back, Duminy mishits the pull to short fine

5.2 K Cooper to Duminy, no run, fullish and on off, Duminy does not get hold of the drive as he goes only as far as cover

5.1 K Cooper to Pietersen, leg byes, 1 run, full and angling in, KP cannot nail down the flick but he ekes out a leg-bye, the ball was sliding down leg and hence the muted LBW shout was flushed down the drain

Kevon Cooper, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

4.6 D Kulkarni to Duminy, no run, good length ball angling away outside off, Duminy taps it to point, straight to the fielder

4.5 D Kulkarni to Duminy, no run, full and pushed across, left alone

Jean-Paul Duminy, left handed bat, comes to the crease

4.4 D Kulkarni to D Karthik, out Caught by Ben Cutting!! Cutting redeems himself, he makes no mistake now, DK has to depart. This was the slower bouncer from Kulkarni, Karthik rocks back and carries through with the pull shot, he hit it reasonably well but straight to Cutting at deep fine leg. The change of pace and the rise on that ball may have put off DK. Dhawal roars while Cutting throws the ball into the night sky. D Karthik c Ben Cutting b D Kulkarni 3(8)

D Kulkarni to D Karthik, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

4.3 D Kulkarni to D Karthik, no run, seeing DK charge down the track, Kulkarni drags his length back, Karthik still pulls it but mishits it to short fine

4.2 D Kulkarni to D Karthik, no run, good length ball ducking in, Karthik drives it on the rise to mid-on

4.1 D Kulkarni to Pietersen, leg byes, 1 run, good length delivery on off, Pietersen walks across the stumps but misses the flick. The LBW appeal is shooted down as it may have just missed the leg-pole. Close shave though

Dhawal Kulkarni [1.0-0-6-0] is back into the attack

3.6 Ben Cutting to D Karthik, no run, back of a length, DK races down the track, aims to scoop it away. No dice though as the ball may have kissed only the glove, it lands in front of the keeper

3.5 Ben Cutting to Pietersen, 1 run, similar length, now it's KP's turn to snap his wrists and turn it to mid on

3.4 Ben Cutting to D Karthik, 1 run, back of a length and on middle and leg, Karthik flicks it gently and places it wide of mid wicket

3.3 Ben Cutting to Pietersen, 1 run, Cutting shortens his length on off, taps it to point and sets off, no harm done now

3.2 Ben Cutting to D Karthik, 1 run, length delivery on off, Karthik works it away to short fine after shuffling across

3.1 Ben Cutting to D Karthik, no run, shortish and directed at the body, Karthik dabs it to the off-side, in front of point

2.6 Faulkner to Pietersen, FOUR, top shot, talk about rubbing salt into a wound. Back of a length and outside off, Pietersen punches it over mid-off

2.5 Faulkner to D Karthik, 1 run, back of a length and on off, Karthik runs it to point for a speedy single. The fielder swoops in on the ball and hits the bulls-eye. Oh wait, KP has not made his ground. He is in trouble. The bat got stuck into the ground just before the crease as he was trying to slide. In fact he looks OUT. But umpire Ravi does not refer it upstairs. KP must thank his lucky stars. Looks like the fielding side did not appeal. How did they miss out?

2.4 Faulkner to Pietersen, 1 run, back of a length and outside off, Pietersen punches it to mid-off, Steve Smith takes his eyes off the ball as he fumbles

Dinesh Karthik, right handed bat, comes to the crease

2.3 Faulkner to M Agarwal, out Caught by S Smith!! Agarwal tries to pull off an Uthappa high elbow lofted drive but offers a simple catch to mid-off. This was shortish and on off, Agarwal seeks to lift it over Steve Smith but the bat twists in his hand, Agarwal chips it feebly to the man there. Another failure for Agarwal. M Agarwal c S Smith b Faulkner 17(10) [4s-3]

Faulkner to M Agarwal, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

2.2 Faulkner to M Agarwal, no run, Agarwal opens the face of the bat on impact with his back of a length offering outside off but cannot beat Tambe's dive at backward point

2.1 Faulkner to M Agarwal, no run, Faulkner fires it short and outside off, Agarwal crashes it to extra-cover, straight to the fielder. He did not get the placement right there

James Faulkner, comes into the attack

1.6 Ben Cutting to M Agarwal, 1 run, not all the short, back of a length and outside off, Agarwal slaps it to sweeper cover and will keep strike. The bat made a crunching sound as it made contact with the ball

1.5 Ben Cutting to M Agarwal, 2 runs dragged short and outside off, Agarwal miscues the pull wide of mid-wicket, he may have got it high on his bat

1.4 Ben Cutting to Pietersen, 1 run, back of a length and on off again, Pietersen mishits the attempted punchy drive to mid off, he rushes across for the single though

1.3 Ben Cutting to M Agarwal, 1 run, back of a length and on off, Agarwal stands tall and punches it to backward point, Unmukht dives across to his left to make a fine stop

1.2 Ben Cutting to M Agarwal, FOUR, Cutting's night is not getting any better. This was on a length and width on offer, Agarwal opens the face of the bat and places it wide of point

1.1 Ben Cutting to M Agarwal, FOUR, Cutting angles this down leg, all Agarwal had to do was to tickle it away, he does that and the ball reaches the deep fine leg fence

Ben Cutting, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

0.6 D Kulkarni to Pietersen, no run, dug in on short of a length, Pietersen punches it but cannot thread the tightly packed off-side infield

0.5 D Kulkarni to Pietersen, no run, pitched up and outside off, left alone

0.4 D Kulkarni to M Agarwal, 1 run, Cutting drops a simple catch. Dhawal has his hands on his head. Kulkarni tests Agarwal with a bouncer, Agarwal moves back and hooks it, he only manages a top-edge, the ball balloons over to deep fine leg, Cutting runs across, tries to take it with hard hands perhaps but shells it. That should have been swallowed at this level

0.3 D Kulkarni to M Agarwal, FOUR, Agarwal gets his bearings right straightaway. This was a fraction back of a length and on off, Agarwal makes a touch of room, presents a high elbow and lofts it over extra-cover

0.2 D Kulkarni to Pietersen, 1 run, similar length and on off, no extra bounce on that occasion as Pietersen presses across and whips it away to deep mid wicket

0.1 D Kulkarni to Pietersen, no run, Kulkarni enjoys some good lift as he hits the back of a length part of the spectrum outside off, some away movement as well, Pietersen shoulders arms carefully

Pietersen and M Agarwal are at the crease. Pietersen is on strike. D Kulkarni will open the attack

Welcome back.. KP strides out to the middle with Agarwal. Kulkarni will kick off things for Rajasthan.

No Watson, Smith did not bat but still Rajasthan got to 200. It just shows you the depth in their batting line-up. Rahane once again anchored the innings with a superb 64. The rest of the batsmen played around him, the move to promote Cooper up the order worked as he hit a quickfire 32, Samson also got going and scored a 25-ball 40. Faulkner came in at the end and gave the finishing touches with some huge hits. Delhi spinners bowled well as they got some purchase off the wicket when they took the pace off the ball. It is a massive total and they need their skipper to fire. Join us back in a few minutes for the run chase....

19.6 Rahul Shukla to Faulkner, out Ben Cutting Run Out!! Faulkner misses out on the length delivery, he toe-ends it back to the bowler, Rahul Shukla keeps his cool, collects the ball and runs Cutting out who was backing up way too much. Ben Cutting run out (Rahul Shukla) 8(6) [6s-1]

Rahul Shukla to Faulkner, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

Can he finish with another big one? Shukla under pressure, he comes round the wicket

19.5 Rahul Shukla to Faulkner, SIX, 200 comes up with another big hit, again, a length ball offered outside off, Faulkner gets underneath it and sends it sailing over long on. It went onto the second tier

19.4 Rahul Shukla to Faulkner, SIX, you can't bowl length to Faulkner and expect to get away, he is one of the cleanest striker's of the cricket ball, Faulkner gets his left leg out of the way and hoicks it over cow-corner for a maximum, it was the slower ball as well

19.3 Rahul Shukla to Ben Cutting, leg byes, 1 run, Shukla gets away with a full toss this time, Cutting again misses and the ball thuds into the pads and rolls to the off-side

19.2 Rahul Shukla to Ben Cutting, no run, full and in the slot again, Cutting misses the big heave across the line, he has to keep his eyes on the ball and then swing hard

19.1 Rahul Shukla to Ben Cutting, no run, slower delivery around off, Cutting stays leg-side and fails to make contact, it was in the slot though

Rahul Shukla comes round the wicket

19.1 Rahul Shukla to Faulkner, no ball, 1 run, misses the yorker and dishes out a full toss which is above waist high, Faulkner does well to get some bat on that and play it to mid-wicket

Rahul Shukla [3.0-0-30-0] is back into the attack

Can Rajasthan get to 200? Rahul Shukla to bowl the final over..

18.6 M Tiwary to Faulkner, 1 run, pushed through outside off, Faulkner goes back and punches it to deep extra cover for a single, 17 runs off the over

18.5 M Tiwary to Faulkner, SIX, the move to give Tiwary the ball isn't working for KP, tossed up outside off, Faulkner goes on his knees and slog sweeps it into the stands over deep mid wicket

18.4 M Tiwary to Ben Cutting, 1 run, slower and outside off, Cutting mishits the cut to long on

18.3 M Tiwary to Ben Cutting, SIX, Cutting does not miss out on the long hop, he goes deep in the crease and pulls it well over deep mid wicket, he sent it out of the ground. That went for 101 metres, the biggest of the night

18.1 M Tiwary to Faulkner, 2 runs, flatter and outside off, Faulkner slaps it between deep extra cover and long off for a brace

Manoj Tiwary [1.0-0-11-0] is back into the attack

James Faulkner, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Surprsing move by KP to give the ball to Tiwary in the penultimate over

17.6 Tahir to Samson, out Caught by K Jadhav!! Samson departs after playing a fine knock. Delhi have pulled things back in the last couple of overs. Tahir flights this up cleverly outside off, Samson reaches out for it and toe-ends the loft to long on, Jadhav runs forward, dives and takes a stunning catch. He did well to hold onto it even after putting in the dive. Samson c K Jadhav b Tahir 40(25) [4s-2 6s-3]

Tahir to Samson, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

17.5 Tahir to Samson, no run, quicker and it was the googly, Samson misses the pull and is hit on the pads, the ball trickles to short third man

17.4 Tahir to Ben Cutting, 1 run, flatter and outside off, Cutting guides it towards backward point for a single

Ben Cutting, right handed bat, comes to the crease

17.3 Tahir to Binny, out Stumped!! Binny perishes for the team's cause. Tries to take on the leg-spinner but loses his wicket instead. Tossed up delivery, Binny comes down the track, looks to heave it across the line, misses and Karthik does the rest. Binny tries to get his bat back down but is too late. An easy decision for the third umpire. Binny st D Karthik b Tahir 0(2)

Tahir to Binny, THATS OUT!! Stumped!!

Third umpire called in for a stumping chance. Tahir seems to be fine with the no-ball. Binny seems short of his ground. He is OUT

17.1 Tahir to Samson, no run, darted in on the stumps, Samson goes for the mighty heave across the line, gets an inside edge onto the pads and the ball rolls to the off-side

Imran Tahir [3.0-0-23-0] is back into the attack

16.6 S Nadeem to Binny, no run, flighted on off, Binny presses forward to defend but gets an inside edge onto the pads

Stuart Binny, right handed bat, comes to the crease

16.5 S Nadeem to Rahane, out Bowled!! Rahane goes after another impressive knock. This was much better from Nadeem, he didn't fire this one, he held it back and slowed it up, Rahane advances down the wicket and is beaten by the turn, the ball goes onto hit the top of leg-stump. KP is also delighted with that wicket. Can Delhi pull things back now? Rahane b S Nadeem 64(50) [4s-8 6s-1]

S Nadeem to Rahane, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

KP has a word with Nadeem, it might be regarding the field placement

16.4 S Nadeem to Samson, 1 run, slower and on middle, Samson makes room, comes down the track and drives it to long off

16.3 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, another full toss, Rahane drills it down to long on

16.2 S Nadeem to Rahane, SIX, rubbish bowling from Nadeem, a juicy full toss on the stumps, Rahane clears his front leg and swings it across the line, clears deep mid wicket easily

16.1 S Nadeem to Samson, wide, darted down the leg-side, Samson lets it go and wide signalled, good take from Karthik

Shahbaz Nadeem [3.0-0-25-1] is back into the attack

15.6 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, FOUR, nothing going right for Delhi, full toss around off, Rahane goes for the drive, gets a thick inside edge towards deep backward square leg, Kaul runs across from fine leg, he overruns and allows the ball to trickle away to the fence

15.5 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, 2 runs, too straight from Shukla, Rahane clips it behind square on the leg-side and gets back easily for the second

15.4 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, FOUR, Rahane's amazing run for Rajasthan continues, 13th Indian T20 League fifty, slower one on off and middle, Rahane shuffles across and helps it past the short fine leg fielder

15.3 Rahul Shukla to Samson, leg byes, 1 run, full toss on leg-stump, Samson misses out on the big swipe, the ball thuds into the pads, Rahul Shukla goes up for a LBW appeal, but it was going down leg

15.2 Rahul Shukla to Samson, FOUR, another slower delivery, but wrong line, on the pads, Samson tickles it fine, the fielder was inside the circle, Kaul still gives chase but comes second

15.1 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, 1 run, change of pace outside off, Rahane who might be struggling with cramps, throws the kitchen sink at it and gets a thick edge to third man. Looks like he has decided to go after the bowling

Rahul Shukla [2.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack

14.6 S Kaul to Rahane, 1 run, fuller and outside off, Rahane thumps it down to long off

14.5 S Kaul to Samson, 1 run, full toss outside off, Samson drills it to extra cover, Nadeem once again fumbles and allows the single to be taken

14.4 S Kaul to Samson, SIX, dug in short and outside off, Samson flat-bats it straight back over the bowler's head, that was a top quality shot

Rahane seems to have been dehydrated. The physio is out there having a look. He has a drink and seems to be fine now.

14.3 S Kaul to Samson, 2 runs, fraction short and outside off, slapped to extra cover, Nadeem misfields and the batsmen collect an extra run

14.2 S Kaul to Samson, SIX, fabulous shot! This youngster can hit it clean, length delivery just outside off, Samson lofts it on the up, he sends it into the second tier over long off

14.1 S Kaul to Rahane, 1 run, back of a length on off, Rahane jumps up and tucks it to backward square leg

Siddarth Kaul [2.0-0-17-0] is back into the attack

13.6 Tahir to Samson, FOUR, what is it these days that the fielder in the deep on the off-side is at extra cover rather than sweeper? Short and outside off, Samson slaps it the vacant sweeper cover region, he picks up an easy four

13.5 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, well bowled by Tahir, pulls the length back as Rahane came down the wicket looking to go big, he gets an inside edge towards short fine leg

13.4 Tahir to Samson, 1 run, tossed up just outside off, Samson drills it down to long off

13.3 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, drops it short and on the stumps, Rahane whips it uppishly to long on

13.2 Tahir to Samson, 1 run, googly on leg-stump, Samson pulls it behind square for a single

13.1 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, both batsmen have missed out on a few half trackers, Rahane pulls this one straight to deep mid wicket

Imran Tahir [2.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack

Time Out!

12.6 Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, pushed through on off, Rahane knocks it towards cover for a single

12.5 Duminy to Samson, 1 run, tossed up just outside off, Samson makes room and mistimes the loft to long off, the fielder played safe and hung back to collect the ball on the bounce

12.5 Duminy to Samson, wide, short and wide outside off, Samson lets it go and wide called by umpire Ravi

12.4 Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, flat and outside off, punched down to long off

11.6 M Tiwary to Rahane, FOUR, poor judgement near the rope, again short and outside off, Rahane cuts it between deep extra cover and long off, Duminy and Taylor were looking at each other and let the ball go through for a boundary

11.5 M Tiwary to Samson, 1 run, short and outside off, Samson cuts it straight to Taylor at sweeper cover

11.4 M Tiwary to Samson, no run, drags the length back as Samson comes down the track, he blocks it to the right of the bowler

11.3 M Tiwary to Samson, SIX, Samson unleashes himself on the part-timer, tossed up gently outside off, he shimmies down the wicket and lofts it straight down the ground for a maximum

11.2 M Tiwary to Samson, no run, slower and on leg-stump, Samson pushes it to mid-wicket

11.1 M Tiwary to Samson, no run, flighted delivery on off, Samson comes forward and defends it to cover

10.5 Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, full toss on off, Rahane drives it back to Duminy, who lets it go through his legs, that was sloppy

10.4 Duminy to Samson, 1 run, tossed up just outside off, Samson drives it to long off and gets off the mark

10.3 Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, tossed up on off, Rahane presses forward and milks it to deep mid wicket

Sanju Samson, right handed bat, comes to the crease

10.2 Duminy to K Cooper, out Caught by Rahul Shukla!! A job well done by Kevon Cooper. He also achieved his highest score in T20 cricket. Flighted well wide of off-stump, Cooper has to reach out for it and he gets it off the bottom of the bat, Shukla at deep extra cover, settles under it and takes a good catch. K Cooper c Rahul Shukla b Duminy 32(16) [4s-2 6s-3]

Duminy to K Cooper, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

10.1 Duminy to K Cooper, SIX, quicker and on the stumps, in the arc for Cooper, he makes a bit of room and goes through with the lofted shot, he gets plenty of bat and it thuds into the sight-screen

10.1 Duminy to K Cooper, wide, starts from round the wicket, pushed across off, Cooper lets it go and wide called

Jean-Paul Duminy [1.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack

9.6 S Nadeem to Rahane, no run, throws this up and gets some purchase off the wicket, Rahane comes forward to defend but is beaten by the turn

9.5 S Nadeem to Rahane, FOUR, excellent shot! There was no one at sweeper and Rahane placed it superbly, tossed up outside off, Rahane waits for it and cuts it to the sweeper cover fence, the man in the deep was at extra cover

9.4 S Nadeem to K Cooper, 1 run, fired in on the stumps, Cooper makes room and drives it to long off

9.2 S Nadeem to K Cooper, 1 run, full and in the zone, Cooper drills the drive back to Nadeem, who half stops it with his right boot

Nadeem comes over the wicket

9.1 S Nadeem to Rahane, leg byes, 1 run, sliding onto the leg side, Rahane misses the nudge and the ball rolls off the pads to the on-side

8.6 Tahir to K Cooper, no run, tosses this up well wide of off-stump, Cooper goes for a mighty swing but only connects with air

8.5 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, pulls the length back on off, Rahane rocks back and pulls it to deep mid wicket

8.4 Tahir to K Cooper, 1 run, slightly short and outside off, Cooper chops the cut past the keeper for a single

8.3 Tahir to K Cooper, FOUR, much better shot from Cooper, the googly once again, he picks it off the pitch and slams it over the bowler's head, Kaul runs across from long off and slides but can't prevent the ball from reaching the fence

8.2 Tahir to K Cooper, FOUR, he is getting some useful runs here, flighted outside off, Cooper goes chasing after it, he gets a thick outside edge and the ball races away to the third man fence

8.1 Tahir to K Cooper, no run, the wrong' un from Tahir, Cooper does not pick it again, he makes room and fails to get bat on ball

7.6 S Nadeem to Rahane, no run, Nadeem is bowling darts at Cooper and slowing them up against Rahane, who blocks this off the front foot

7.4 S Nadeem to K Cooper, SIX, at first it looked like a mishit but he just about clears Duminy at long off, floated around off, Cooper takes his front leg out of the way and toe-ends the loft just over long off

7.3 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, quicker and on the pads, Rahane presses forward and works it to the vacant mid-wicket region

7.1 S Nadeem to Rahane, no run, slows this up on off, Rahane drives it back to the bowler

6.6 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, fired in close to off, Rahane stays in the crease and eases it to long on

6.5 Tahir to K Cooper, 1 run, flighted outside off, Cooper does not get to the pitch of the ball but still goes through the shot, he lofts it on the bounce to long off

6.4 Tahir to K Cooper, no run, throws this up outside off, Cooper holds back and knocks it to cover-point

6.3 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, flatter and on off, Rahane hangs back and nudges it to deep mid wicket

6.2 Tahir to K Cooper, leg byes, 3 runs, googly from Tahir, Cooper does not pick it, he was shaping to play the big hoick across the line, misses it and the ball goes off the pads to fine leg, the fielder does well to dive and stop a run for the team

6.1 Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, nicely tossed up on off, Rahane works it to mid-wicket, he wanted two but Cooper slipped while turning back and sends Rahane back

Imran Tahir, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

5.6 S Nadeem to K Cooper, SIX, Cooper is up and running, spoils what was turning out to be a good over from Nadeem, tossed up just outside off, it was in the slot, Cooper frees his arms and sends the ball sailing over the long off fence

5.5 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, slower and on off, Rahane lunges forward and nudges it to short mid-wicket

5.3 S Nadeem to Nair, out Lbw!! Nadeem strikes in his first over. The dangerous looking partnership has been broken. It was cleverly bowled, after flighting two deliveries, Nadeem pushes this one quicker, Karun presses forward and tries to work it to the on-side, he misses it and is rapped on the pads, the umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger. That would have hit the middle and leg-stump. Nair lbw b S Nadeem 19(14) [4s-1 6s-1]

S Nadeem to Nair, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

5.2 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, flighted around off, Rahane gets to the pitch and works it to mid-on

5.1 S Nadeem to Rahane, no run, tossed up on off, Rahane turns it to the on-side

Shahbaz Nadeem, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack

4.6 S Kaul to Nair, FOUR, Kaul is not learning from his mistake, pitched up and outside off, slower delivery as well, Karun comes well forward and smacks it on the bounce into the deep extra cover fence, it almost went the distance

4.5 S Kaul to Rahane, 1 run, again, back of a length on middle and leg, Rahane nurdles it in front of square on the leg-side for a single

4.4 S Kaul to Nair, 1 run, drags the length back outside off, Karun walks across his stumps and steers it to third man

4.3 S Kaul to Nair, 2 runs, too straight from Kaul, Karun flicks it to deep mid wicket for another brace, that was bowled from wide of the crease

4.2 S Kaul to Nair, SIX, cracking shot! Overpitched outside off, Karun comes on the front foot, he transfers his weight forward and lofts it over extra cover for a maximum, that was a flat hit from Karun

4.1 S Kaul to Nair, 2 runs, calculated risk taken by Karun, length delivery outside off, he comes forward and lofts it over mid-off, he didn't middle it and hence only a couple taken

3.6 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, no run, on a length, slanting on off, Rahane shuffles across and tucks it to mid-wicket

3.5 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, no run, slightly short in length and outside off, Rahane punches but can't beat Tiwary at cover, fine diving stop by him

3.4 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, FOUR, edged but four, Rahul Shukla smiles at Rahane, what more can he do? The slip had been taken out at the start of the over, good length delivery just outside off, draws Rahane into the drive, he only manages to get an edge and the ball races away to the third man fence

3.3 Rahul Shukla to Nair, 1 run, short and plenty of width on offer, Karun gets on top of the bounce and cuts it to third man, he should have placed it better

3.2 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, 1 run, back of a length on off, Rahane gets behind it and nudges it to deep square leg

3.1 Rahul Shukla to Nair, 1 run, shortish length on off, Karun tucks it in front of mid-on and takes a quick single

Lot of changes being made by KP. Takes out the slip and puts him at gully

2.6 S Kaul to Rahane, no run, Rahane is playing sensibly, on a length and shapes away outside off, he shoulders arms to that

2.5 S Kaul to Nair, 1 run, good length delivery outside off, Karun drives it with an open face wide of third man, Tahir does the tidying up on the fence

2.4 S Kaul to Nair, no run, pulls the length back outside off, Karun stays back and guides it to backward point

2.3 S Kaul to Nair, no run, hint of inswing this time, Karun goes for the drive but gets an inside edge onto the pads, the ball rolls back to the keeper

2.2 S Kaul to Nair, no run, length delivery just outside off, no movement for Kaul, Karun lifts his bat and lets it go

A gully in place for Karun

2.1 S Kaul to Nair, no run, fuller and close to off, Karun comes forward and clips it to mid-wicket

1.2 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, FOUR, again wrong line and length, angling in and sliding down the leg side, Rahane leans forward and flicks it in the air, but there is no one at mid-wicket and the ball races away to the fence

1.1 Rahul Shukla to Rahane, leg byes, FOUR, poor start from Shukla, wrong line, on the pads, Rahane fails to get bat on that but gets some pad on the way, Karthik dives in vain

Rahul Shukla, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

0.6 Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, flighted delivery on the pads, Rahane clips it uppishly through the vacant mid-wicket region

0.5 Duminy to Rahane, no run, floated up on off and middle, Rahane leans forward and defends it with a straight bat

0.4 Duminy to Nair, 1 run, slows this up gently on off, Karun presses forward and works it to deep mid wicket

A slip in place..

0.3 Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, tossed up on middle, Rahane gets to the pitch and nudges it to deep mid wicket

0.2 Duminy to Rahane, FOUR, half tracker from Duminy, Rahane takes full toll of it, he rocks back and cuts it square of the wicket on the off-side, nice way to get off the mark

0.1 Duminy to Rahane, no run, starts with a short one outside off, the ball does not come onto the bat, Rahane chops the cut to backward point, he slipped and lost his balance

Rahane and Nair are at the crease. Rahane is on strike. Duminy will open the attack

Looks like we will have no more delays as the rain has not returned. The teams are getting ready in their respective dug-outs. The crowd is very excited as well.

The covers are being peeled off. Play will start at 20:15 Local Time...

Some good news, the rain has stopped. But the covers are still on. Brace yourselves for a delayed start.

There was a mild dust-storm while the toss was happening but things have cleared up and the match will start on time.

Pietersen: "It is no better time to look ahead to the next season. We will try some new faces. The season is realistically over and we want to give some youngsters a chance. It has been an enjoyable journey. We are going to bowl. Our batting has not fired so we need to restrict them and chase it down. I am not sure what a good score is, we need to get one more than whatever they get. Manoj Tiwary, Shabaz Nadeem and Ross Taylor come in."

Smith: "Watson has a slight niggle, so he will rest tonight. It is getting to the business end, so you want the best team to play in the crucial games. I was going to bat so no problems with batting first. Samson, Ben Cutting and Dhawal Kulkarni replace Yagnik, Watson and Ankit Sharma."

Delhi Daredevils have won the toss and have opted to field

Shane Watson misses out, he is nursing a niggle. Steven Smith is leading Rajasthan.

Hello and welcome to Match 41 of the Indian T20 League. Toss and more coming up in a brief while...

They lost their previous match against Chennai as MS Dhoni thawed them at the death. Kolkata are right at Rajasthan's heels with Uthappa sealing a facile win yesterday. Ankit and Watto opened the batting last time around with the in-form pair of Rahane and Nair getting bumped down. What will be their battle plan today? Can Delhi lift themselves and upset Rajasthan's apple cart? Let us find out..

With Delhi all but out of the tournament, Rajasthan have a lot more riding on this clash. Delhi captain, Kevin Pietersen himself admitted that his side has no realistic chance of progressing to the play-offs and emphasized focus on building for the next season. Meanwhile, Rajasthan, who are sitting in third place with 12 points will be eyeing a top two finish to have two bites at the cherry.

Preview:

The clash against Rajasthan Royals does not hold much importance for the Delhi Daredevils, who are virtually out of the race for the play-offs. The Royals too are sitting pretty with 12 points and 4 games in hand. However, the match against a low-on-morale DD presents RR an opportunity to consolidate their position in the top four.

Rajasthan Royals:

The Shane Watson-led side has had mixed fortunes so far in the Pepsi Indian Premier League. They've come up trumps in spectacular fashion (Super Over against KKR, Smith-Faulkner show against RCB) but have also had some dismal shows (failing to chase down 134 against SRH, losing despite scoring 191 against KXIP). Much like their previous seasons, it has predominantly been a team show. They have found different players to help them out at various important stages.

Karun Nair, Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, James Faulkner and Steven Smith have all been amongst the runs and that augurs well for the Royals. However, they are yet to find the right batting order. They have experimented with it by promoting Watson to open the innings along with the lesser-known Ankit Sharma against CSK. While the duo did put on a good opening stand, the shuffling affected the other players. Rahane and Nair did not find it easy batting in the middle overs and Steven Smith did not have enough time to play the finishing role. It left them with a lot more questions than answers. Ideally Rajasthan would want the likes of Watson and Smith to face the maximum number of deliveries but they are yet to find the right way to get them to do it.

On the bowling front, Pravin Tambe has been quite the star. The 42-year old has been the most successful spinner in this year's IPL so far with 14 wickets. He's been ably supported by another veteran, Rajat Bhatia, who has a revelation with his slower than medium-pace. His bowling has been difficult to get away on the slowish tracks and mighty effective for RR. The team that has some of the most valuable uncapped players are sure to start as the favourites against DD.

Delhi Daredevils:

It has been nothing short of an abysmal run so far for Kevin Pietersen's side. The skipper's form has mirrored the team's fortunes as well. They have struggled on all fronts from the openers, to the batting order right down to the bowlers. None have impressed. Having won only two out of their ten games so far, DD's chances are virtually nil now and that has been admitted by Pietersen himself. He had stated that Delhi will be best served looking forward and building a team for the next season. With the situation as it stands, KP will have the extra burden of motivating his players to carry on with full intensity.

On the positive side, it could also help the players to play with a lot more freedom. A struggling Pietersen himself could benefit hugely with the pressure lifted. If he does click, the confidence is bound to rub off on the entire team. They will be looking to spoil the party for the other teams as the race heats up for a place in the play-offs.

Quotes:

We have to build for next season as there's an unrealistic chance of making it to the play-offs - Kevin Pietersen is blunt about the road ahead for DD.